1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to software systems that provide directions and/or a map to a desired destination. More particularly, the present invention relates to such systems, embodied in dedicated machines, that are operated by the public on a pay-for-service basis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a person is in an unfamiliar community, that person must rely upon either maps or directions to find his/her way between points. This fact is well known at airports, hotels, visitor centers and the like. Consequently, such locations often provide maps or service representatives to help people with directions. In the past, the service of providing directions has fallen upon rental car clerks, the concierge of the hotel or some gas station attendant on the road. Maps are supplied by hotels and rental car companies and can be bought at service stations.
A problem associated with relying upon a service representative or a gas station is that they are not always conveniently available. Furthermore, a service representative or a gas station attendant may not know directions to where you want to go.
Recognizing the pitfalls of relying upon others for directions, many automated systems have been developed to accommodate people who need directions. The prior art is replete with different types of computer systems that run software for providing maps and/or directions to a specific location. On the Internet, there are numerous web sites where a person can obtain directions to any point in the continental United States. However, such computer systems are rarely available to travelers, as is access to the Internet. Furthermore, the information provided by such systems is rarely updated. Day-to-day changes in traffic patterns, such as road construction, accidents, detours and the like are not taken into account when the directions are given.
A need therefore exists for a system that is conveniently located at places frequented by travelers that can provide a traveler with detailed directions to a desired destination that takes into account daily variations in traffic patterns. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a computer system that can be embodied in a vending machine or accessed through a personal computer. When embodied as a vending machines, the vending machine has a payment interface for receiving payment of a predetermined fee by a customer. The vending machine also has a display monitor, a printer, a data input device and a telecommunications modem. The computer processor within the vending machine reads a point of destination entered by a customer. The computer processor plots the quickest route from the location of that vending machine to the desired destination. Prior to calculating the quickest route, the computer processor accesses a database of traffic information via a telecommunications link. The route selected between the vending machine and the desired destination takes into account current traffic information. Accordingly, the quickest route selected may not be the most direct route between points.
When embodied as a personal computer, the hardware of the personal computer substitutes for the structure of the vending machine. When using a personal computer, a customer utilizes the present invention system via the Internet. The system operates in the same manner as does the vending machine except a customer must enter a point of beginning as well as a point of destination.